Halo: The Strike On Earth - A Spartan 115 Story
by travidoggs
Summary: This is not related to the main story of Halo. A few pieces of the story and characters may dabble around. What if a test-tube super-soldier fails and is stuck looking young while ageing inside. Looking young is a dream right? Well for Spartan Matthew it seems hell. And when he is called back into war, he is ready and really excited for some action. The covenant are attacking.
1. Chapter 1

This is just a fan fiction. The story is fiction and not related to the  
main Halo story.

Halo: The Strike On Earth

A Spartan 115 Story

Chapter 1:

School, I hate going to school. Why did I have to be a failure? I'm sixteen years old. Well, I look it. I'm actually forty-something. But I was a science experiment; I have no birthdays, birth-parents. The closest thing to a parent I have is Doctor Halsey. Though she doesn't treat me like her son, she doesn't treat me like anything but a soldier.

I was a failed experiment. Something went wrong, no one is to blame. Halsey blamed everyone though. She's a bit crazy.

I had to come out of the test-tube when I was only about six or something months old. That made me about fourteen really. I grew until I looked sixteen but my body stopped, no-one knows what happened and Halsey didn't take a second look at me once I left her lab. So now I am stuck looking infinitely sixteen years old, but ageing in the mind. I'll die of old age one day; my brain will stop because it's old. My heart ages too, slower than my brain. I still look sixteen though.

I am what happens when people try to grow super-soldiers out of a test-tube. I am a super-solder still. I did the training and fought in the war on Reach. I was there for the Fall of Reach. We haven't seen any Covenant after that war, and I haven't needed to go to war since Reach.

After becoming a legend for all the stories I am trying to forget the UNSC sent me to this school. Barmoor High School and I repeat the same year, every year. I have to pretend it's because I failed the year. But it's because the UNSC must keep me secret. All my friends go ahead without me. They barely question me not ageing, it's barely noticeable.

If you're wondering why they must keep me secret it is because there are people that'll pay top-dollar to have me and preform painful experiments on me to work out why I don't age. Hell, after looking sixteen for forty-odd-years I'd love to know why I don't age either. People would love to have the ability to not age, you would think that anyway.

This is an eternal hell. You wouldn't think it, but it is. I make friends in all the years I am here, they are younger and know less than me, but they grow to me. But then they leave school and move on with life while I am still here, acting like a dumbass sixteen year old student in High School, unable to move on. Because I am some stupid failure!

Ageing on the inside and not the out is a painful process.

"Matthew, hey." Alessandra comes walking down the path to join me and the others for lunch.

"Hey," she always mentions me first. She has a crush on me. Has for a long time, I'm not into her. I can't be. I'm like, thirty years older than her and it just seems wrong for me. Unfortunately I am the only one that can know that. Not even my best friend Jay; whom I tell everything.

Everyone I am friends with now, are people I met two years ago. They are two years ahead of me in school. It depresses me, that once they leave I will never be allowed to see them. Ever again.

I take another bite of my jam sandwich, and chew slowly at the thought. "What's up?" Stuart asks, noticing I am depressed. Yes, even super-soldiers get depressed. Actually; I don't know if it's just me or all of us do. We're considered an entire different species by the UNSC. We aren't but they look at us like we are.

"I'm just thinking, you guys are leaving at the end of this year. Even if I don't repeat, I still have to spend another year or two without you guys." I say.

"Don't worry dude, we can still hang out out-of-school." Stuart mentions.

That is what every lot of my friends say in the last year before leaving. "We can still hang out out-of-school."

I know we can't the UNSC won't allow it. I am only allowed at home with my two fake parents who are just foster parents that are being payed to follow a story. I'm sure they would follow the story without pay, maybe.

I grunt. I stand up, swing my um-teenth school back over my shoulder and strut over to the bin. I through my rubbish – a chip packet and bread crust into the bin; the same bin I always do, every day, for the past twenty years.

Twenty years I have been coming to this school. Because the first ten was training, the other ten was in the Fall of Reach. Reach was a good planet, even though I only saw it during the war.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to war, because this place is boring and I do the same stuff every year. There is no excitement. At least war gets me adrenalin pumping, of my, I have totally forgotten what it feels like to feel fear. Fear of death, running for your life from enemy gun fire.

And sometimes you just wish too hard. I hadn't noticed it before but now I have, basically because it was overhead.

Wind is gusting around everywhere, students are running and teachers do their best to hold them back; while the helicopter slowly comes to a land on the ground in front of me. I go to walk forward but Alessandra latches onto me, so I stop and walk back so she doesn't get hurt by anything.

The black helicopter with the UNSC symbol, the eagle, slows its rotor blades to the slowest they can go. And the wind slows down to a slight breeze.

The doors on each side of the helicopter slide open and three soldiers jump out from each side pointing handguns out. Everybody screams, the teachers try to force everyone to run, most people do. I don't know who stayed, but I did still with Alessandra clinging to me, who fingers begin to dig into me.

"Lower your weapons mean, nothing needs to be shot here." I hear the recognised voice: Spartan Miller.

He spots me almost immediately and walks straight to me, with a big grin on his face, and that's when I notice the pain in my face from my big grin. I take control and put my serious face on, I am professional.

A teacher jumps in front of us, probably expecting he'd be a hero saving his students instead of himself.

"No need for that sir. We are part of the UNSC, we're here for Matthew." Spartan Miller says.

"No," the teacher says in a deep, scared voice. "Run kids run!"

Alessandra runs and tries to pull me at the same time, "Let's go!" She screams.

I pull her off of me and she falls into the dirt. "Sorry," I mutter. I walk past the teacher, who tries to stop me but I avoid, and arrive next to Miller. I salute. "Sir," I say, standing tall and brave.

"We have an issue…" He hisses, we walk over towards the helicopter a few meters for him to tell me, "Our frigates have picked up a Covenant fleet heading towards Earth."

I feel nervous, yet also excited. Am I being called into war again? I look to Alessandra brushing herself off in the dirt.

"You know what they want?" I ask.

"We didn't exactly ask," Miller says. "We need you back."

I smile, and deep down dance. I'm going back to war. Most people may think that isn't a good thing, but I was grown in a test-tube to be a super-soldier and fight in wars. I build up with excitement and get all giddy wanting to get to the lines already, then remembering I might be a bit rusty.

I do home-gym and light martial arts training at home with tutors that I get hired, but that's about it.

"I'm in." I say, Miller leads me into the helicopter; the six marines jump in too and shut the door. I hear the engines get louder and faster, and then I feel the helicopter lift off the ground. I didn't even say good-bye to anyone I'm too excited.

Going back to my home environment, the place I was designed to be: The Battle Zone.

What brightens my mood even more is Miller mentions they have saved my amour from the Fall of Reach.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The flight on the helicopter was short. Spartan Miller is in his blue Spartan uniform, except without the helmet. He has explained to me how the UNSC is preparing for war. No-one knows where the Covenant is going to hit first, and until then they don't know where to evacuate and where to evacuate to. Space defences aren't going to last long. They will be breaches within twenty-four hours.

"We can't save everyone." Miller says.

"We can try." I say, thinking of my friends in school, and everyone who has left. "But gee I'm glad I'm out of school now." I say trying to change the tension in the air.

"Yes, sorry. We had to keep you from plain sight. The people out there only found you once, spending ALL your time in school threw them off right." Miller explains.

"Yes, but school is hell when you know everything." I say, also thinking of the friends I will never see. Not an easy thing to move on from; and knowing that if the Covenant hit Barmoor, or its community "Hemsey" I am is going to lose them. Nothing I can do if I am at the lines.

"Where am I going?" I ask Miller.

"We are going to a ship. The Harvey." He says.

The Harvey. It's a Star Cruiser, a Warship for space like The Infinity. I remember when Infinity left for deep-space work, and Harvey was the main Warship orbiting Earth now.

That's when the helicopter landed. We're now boarding a Pelican, a dropship capable of going into space for a short time. I am put onto there with three marines and Miller. We take a seat and strap ourselves in. Then the engines start and we fly, the doors stay open and I take a look at the scenery to try and gather where I am. Campoids, it's a city like town and it looks like the oval here is already set up as a UNSC airfield. I see Hornets lined up nicely, and polished ready for action on call and tents on the other side of the spray painted runway I presume are used for sleeping in.

The runway is just spray painted onto the grass you can barely see once you're in the air. At the end of it I see two jets and a couple Pelicans.

That's really all I get to see before the doors start to close in mid-air. When they fully close I can feel the Pelican pick up speed and begin heading to The Harvey in orbit I guess.

At The Harvey, the hanger is amazing. I step out of the Pelican and the hanger I'd say was two kilometres long. Pelicans and Hornets and Sabres all lined a preparing for launch. They must be expecting a launch soon I guess.

I follow Miller and finally arrive in a room with computers with people working on them and the Captain. Captain Kirmanen, "Good to see you again Matthew." He says.

"You too." I say, studying the room more to understand what one it is, I figure it's the bridge. It'd make sense I guess. Though it's not like any bridge I've seen. Then again; I have never been on The Harvey.

"You look like you haven't aged a day." The Captain jokes.

"Oh I have on the inside, trust me." I say.

"So I trust Spartan Miller has filled you in on why we brought you here?" Captain looks at Miller.

"The Covenant have been spotted." Right as I say that, lights and sirens go off. And out the window we all see why, "Sir!" Someone calls from a computer.

"I see soldier, Calm down!" The Captain yells over the sirens.

Four Covenant Battle Cruisers arrive from slipspace along with two Assault Carriers. God, those Carriers are massive.

UNSC frigates begin firing and Sabre-Starfighters begins being launched from all our ships I can see engaging on attack the Covenant threats.

"What are we going to do sir?" I wonder, standing tall when the Captain turns around.

"We can only try and stop them before they enter Earth's atmosphere." The Captain says leaving. I go to follow him but Miller stops me.

"We're going this way," Miller walks through another door at a fast pace, a jog. So I jog a few meters behind, he looks back once or twice to make sure I am following him. I'm a soldier; I do what I am told.

We arrive into a room with a dozen scientists who all stare at me. Then one catches my eye: Doctor Halsey.

She walks up to me and looks me up and down. "So you're the failure that still became a Spartan." She says, sturdy and strong.

"Yes Ma'am." I stutter.

"How?"

"Younger units are better, aren't they ma'am." Miller but's in.

"I asked Spartan 115." She still looks at me.

I stand tall in alert, "I only look young ma'am, I can learn and do things still as I have no defects." I say, hoping my answer is ok.

"I have heard the stories of what you did at the Fall of Reach." She says.

Aren't those stories famous…

"Ok, well. I've cleaned your armor up and updated the HUD." She says, she moves out of the way and signals a scientist to open a metal cylinder twice my size. And inside it is my armor. The grey E.V.A amour that I wore while fighting for Reach. It is all polished.

"Wow," I relax my body amazed by this sight. I didn't think they would keep it, or at least in good quality like this.

I hear explosions and gun fire outside the ship, and the ship shook once.

It took a process of nearly an hour but the scientist and I have fully gotten the armor on me. With a knife kept in the chest piece, upside-down for easy taking: Which is a good improvement.

I slip the helmet on, and the HUD is improved: Blue. Who doesn't like the color blue?

Miller's voice comes through on radio in an earpiece, and a small box appears in the corner of the HUD showing his name: Spartan J. Miller, Location: Harvey Warship. It also has a waveform that moves as his voice changes pitch.

"How's it feel?" Miller asks.

"Good." I say.

"Excellent. I will be your guide for your missions." Miller explains, "I won't be going down with you. I'll just be setting your objectives and telling you what to do from up here. This is your mission room. Our mission room," Miller indicates the room. A few computers, the amour cupboard, and a weapons rack with a couple of assault rifles.

Miller opens another inbuilt cupboard that I didn't notice; It's stockpiled with food, water and guns and ammo.

Miller puts his finger to his ear – trying to listen to the earpiece in it – and his grin disappears. He curses.

He immediately runs to a computer and types some stuff in, I walk over forgetting how heavy the suit is. I forgot to activate its assisting hydraulics. I press a button on my wrist and walking becomes a lot easier, hell movement becomes a lot easier with assisting hydraulics.

All that is on the computer is the video of a Covenant Battle Cruiser. And once Miller informed me that the Covenant has attacked Barmoor, I get very, very angry!

"Don't worry. We have troops down there doing their best to get Barmoor back. We have Taiton though. Isn't that where your friends are?" Miller says.

"No, they would still be in school! In Barmoor High!" I slam my fist onto a desk scaring a scientist. They always jump at everything.

"Well let's get you down there to help." Miller suggests, I grin though he can't see it in my helmet. Back to war I go. First objective: saving my friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

It took about forty-odd minutes, but The Harvey entered Earth's atmosphere and it is hovering over Taiton. I geared up with two frag-grenades, a DMR rifle with five spare clips of fourteen rounds, and a M6G-magnum with two spare clips of eight.

It took thirty minutes but the Pelican is ready. I don't think it was the Pelican I was waiting on, probably Marines trying to clear an LZ – that's Landing Zone – for the Pelican closer to Barmoor. The door closed and the Pelican lifted off, I didn't bother strapping myself to the seat this time, but at least I sat down.

Took ten minutes I think, I didn't keep count, before the Pelican landed and the pilot spoke through the radio, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at LZ, be careful it's still a little hot out there." I can hear the gunfire still. I pick up my DMR and cock it with the friendly sound of the first bullet loading into the chamber.

The doors open and the gunfire becomes clear, the sunlight blares into the dark Pelican's body. I stand and let the five, no, six marines run out before me and they immediately begin firing outwards towards the enemies. Once they are all out I run out and the Pelican takes off again.

I examine the battle zone. It's the schools back Oval, what's left of it. The UNSC seem to have made the school a priority. "Some students are left in the school! We need to help them!" A marine yells at me, firing her assault rifle to the Covenant on the other side of the oval, the side where the school fence is and the bush begins. Looks like the Covenant are using the bush as a cover.

I look through the scope of the DMR, and pick off two grunts and three jackals. Then I fall back a bit to a Sargent. "Sir," I say walking up to him. "How many students are left in the school?" I ask.

"Spartan 115 aye, your shorter than most Spartans." He mocks me.

"I'm younger than most Spartans," I comeback, "Can you please answer my question, sir?"

"We aren't exactly sure about that, a good one-hundred or something. Just the lot the parents couldn't pick up in time for the evac." The Sargent says.

"Do you have a list of names?" I ask.

"The teachers that have stayed and are looking after the students have a list go ask one of them over in that tent." He points to a UNSC two-part tent that has been set up. About ten meters by ten meters. I half-run half-walk over to there.

Inside are a couple radios, a portable computer, and a few marines. Two teachers that seem wounded are lying on stretches.

"Excuse me," I walk up to them. One is bandaged on the leg, the other is bandaged around the gut. The one bandaged on the leg is awake, "Do you have a list of the students still here?" I ask. He points to a clipboard with about twenty pieces of paper. The first few don't have names, but when I get to the names I look desperately for any name that catches my eye.

"Any of your friends there?" Miller asks over the radio ear piece in my ear.

"Not that I can see…" I still study.

"Look, we have had a call. Says he's a brother of one of your friends." Miller starts explaining.

"Who?"

"He got evacuated to the North. But his sister didn't." Miller delays.

I hear a few explosions outside, but the gunfire doesn't stop.

"Alessandra, is his sisters name." Miller says. My stomach aches.

Alessandra didn't get evacuated! The only place I think she would go is her house, because she'd think that's a safe place.

"Miller, what about my other friends?" I ask.

"I don't have any intel on that, if they're not on that list then they're probably evacuated or still around town." Miller says slowly, nervously.

"Alessandra would be at her house if she's still around here. I know her; I know she'd be there." I say still standing in the ten. I put the clipboard on the table and turn around to face the door but don't walk.

"Matthew, these marines are asking for some help to push the Covenant back. I'm assigning your mission to push them back so we can save the kids and evac them." Miller says.

I debate this in my head, I need to help Alessadra. But then again, she could wait and my other friends might still be here.

"Spartan?" Miller says, I don't know how long I was debating in my head.

"I'll do it." I say, putting on my deepest, heroic voice.

"Good."

I sling my DMR around my back and run out and take cover behind a concrete barrier the UNSC must've brought in.

"What's the deal?" I ask Miller.

"Just hold the Covenant off from breaching into the school until they back off." Miller says like its simple.

"What if we need to back off?" I say being a smart ass.

Miller laughs but doesn't respond. I look right and left, a few other concrete barriers stand, a dozen I think, and marines hide behind shooting over the top.

I crouch and look over the barrier and look through the scope. The Covenant is hiding on the edge of the bush just past the destroyed fence. They don't seem to be advancing forward or retreating. And as I examine the area the only enemy units I spot are Jackals with shields and plasmas pistols and grunts with needlers or plasma pistols; maybe the occasional fuel-rod cannon.

The look like they are firing without any real target: spray and pray.

The marines over here are using suppressive fire and making sure they hit something at least.

I spot a group of grunts with fuel-rod cannons and drop all six of them with a few shots of my DMR. Good range, good damage, EXCELENT accuracy, defiantly my favourite gun in the whole of UNSC arsenal.

I sit here, ducking behind and looking over the barrier, for about five minutes, gone through two and a half clips making sure every shot is a hit.

"Miller, how many of these are there!" I complain.

Miller comes online, "I'm not sure Matthew, and we can't get a good read with them in the bush. Good NEWS is we got a Longsword that can lay a carpet bomb to maybe scare them away."

"Good, when will it be here!?" I yell, someone just shot a rocket launcher out to the bush.

"ETA, thirty seconds." I hear over the radio, not Miller. The HUD shows me where it came from.  
Name: Longsword 235, Usa.

In exactly thirty seconds, not that I counted, the Longsword flies over head the bush spitting about two dozen missiles into it and once the Longsword is out of sight they blow up. Destroying the bush, making smoke and flames, but most of all, kill the Covenant.

"Woo hoo!" I hear a marine cry next to me. He jumps up and rapid fire's his assault rifle into the direction of the bush.

Two warthogs rush past from about a hundred meters away and drive off into the bush to finish any leftover Covenant I guess.

"Good work Matthew, our thermal scans are showing the Covenant is retreating." Miller says.

In the corner of my HUD it shows a small square, a line of red on the bottom, I presume is the fire, but a line of lighter red and yellow is heading the other way. Then it disappears.

"Any other jobs around here Miller?" I ask.

"We're just going to clear the Covenant, when its ready we're going to send a few Pelicans to take the kids to the airport to evac North." Miller says, "Unless you want to stick around to escort the kids…"

"No." I snap. Then Miller and I laugh.

Over the radio comes a voice, female: "Anyone available to help. We are pinned down at Barmoor hall! This is fireteam Hetha! Pinned down at Barmoor hall! Covenant has wraiths and massive infantry! We are running low on ammo! Help please!"

"Matthew, that was Sargent Smith and her fireteam. She needs help, take a few marines and go help her." Miller orders.

I don't think I have much say this time, so I rush to a group of four marines talking down by a weapon pile and tell them they are coming with me. While passing the weapon pile I grab two more clips for the DMR, put them into the pouches onto my belt and jog to the front of the school, the marines following.


End file.
